New global survey on cinema

The survey was launched in more than 200 countries and territories in early July 2007. Initial results are scheduled for release in 2008 on the UIS website. The findings will also be published in international reports and UNESCO publications. Given the importance of cinema as a cultural expression, the statistics will contribute to the monitoring of issues related to cultural diversity.

The questionnaire was developed through a partnership between the UIS and the Institut de la Statistique du Québec with the support of the Ministère de la Culture et des Communications and the Ministère des Relations internationales of the Government of Québec.

Basically, the survey is designed to provide a framework for comparing data on the production, distribution and market shares of feature films. It will provide global, regional and national breakdowns of the numbers of national productions, co-productions and foreign films, as well as their languages of origin.

In terms of distribution, the survey will identify the top three companies operating in each country, for example, and the number of copies of feature films distributed (by their origin).

This information will be complemented by a series of questions on admissions and box office receipts. In particular, a list of the top ten feature films in each country will identify the origin of the film and director while also listing the distributor and language of origin.

The survey concludes with a series of questions on the types of cinemas in each country (single screen theatres versus multiplexes), as well as basic trends concerning the rentals of videocassettes and videodiscs and their retail trade.


For more information:

• Interested readers can consult the Questionnaire on Feature Film Statistics in the language of their choice: English, French, Russian or Spanish.
• National authorities responsible for submitting data should consult the electronic version of the survey (which is only available to those authorized).